Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/checks_on_home_educated_children?utm_campaign=alaveteli-experiments-87&utm_content=sidebar_similar_requests&utm_medium=link&utm_source=whatdotheyknow on August 14, 2018 22:10

Please could you identify any standards, rules, policies or guidance that
a. gives GPs the responsibility or authority to request or insist on seeing a child solely because they have discovered that child's parents have opted for elective home education.
b. gives GPs any responsibility for checking the education provided
c. suggests this should automatically be done annually even if the child has been seen during the year.

I.E. when there is
a. no evidence to suggest any health concerns
b. no evidence to suggest any safeguarding concerns
especially in the instance that:
c. the child has been seen recently by a GP in the same practice
d. the child is known to be seeing other professionals e.g. Paediatrician

Yours faithfully,

R Mason

p.s. the school nurse service is still available to children in elective home education
p.p.s the DfE confirm that elective home education is not a safeguarding concern
p.p.p.s It is Social Services duty to investigate safeguarding concerns
p.p.p.p.s It is the Local Authority's responsibility to deal with breaches of the Education Act

Thank you for getting in touch. Please note this is an automated email.

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can with a further acknowledgement.
You’ll usually hear from us on the next working day, but it might take a
little longer during busy periods.

In the meantime, if you want any further information about the GMC, please
visit our website.

Thank you

Information access team

General Medical Council

Email: [GMC request email]

Telephone: 0161 923 6365

Working with doctors Working for patients

The General Medical Council helps to protect patients and improve medical
education and practice in the UK by setting standards for students and
doctors. We support them in achieving (and exceeding) those standards, and
take action when they are not met.

1 Attachment

Thank you for your email of 18 November 2016. Your request is as follows
:-

“Please could you identify any standards, rules, policies or guidance that
a. gives GPs the responsibility or authority to request or insist on
seeing a child solely because they have discovered that child's parents
have opted for elective home education. b. gives GPs any responsibility
for checking the education provided c. suggests this should automatically
be done annually even if the child has been seen during the year.”

I’ve considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA).

‘Good Medical Practice’, together with its explanatory guidance, sets out
standards expected of all doctors registered with the GMC; these are
available from [1]http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/. The FOIA covers
requests for recorded information that is held by a public authority and,
as such, we are unable to advise you how the principles set out in the
guidance applies to your specific questions. However, we have issued a
guide on what patients can expect from their doctors which you might find
to be of interest – please find this at
[2]http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/patients....

Who to contact

I hope you find this information useful. If you have any queries about
this, or need anything further, please contact me on the details below.

Thank you very much for your response, just for clarity could you confirm that my understanding of it is correct I.E. that there is no rule or guidance that mandates that a GP 'must' insist on an annual health check, asking about syllabus, timetable etc. when there is no other health concern.